Mechanical shock mitigation for data storage

Abstract

A device adapted to capture vehicle data or surveillance data that includes a disk and a Non-Volatile Solid-State Memory (NVSM). The vehicle or surveillance data is received in a buffer of the device for storage on the disk, and an input is received indicating a level of mechanical shock. It is determined whether the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds a first threshold indicative of an impact. If the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds the first threshold, the vehicle or surveillance data is stored in the NVSM from the buffer and a status is determined for storing data on the disk.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A device adapted to capture vehicle data related to a vehicle in motion, the device comprising:
 a disk for storing vehicle data; 
 a Non-Volatile Solid-State Memory (NVSM) for storing vehicle data; 
 a memory including a buffer for storing vehicle data before writing the vehicle data on the disk; and 
 a controller configured to:
 receive vehicle data into the buffer for storage on the disk; 
 receive an input indicating a level of mechanical shock; 
 determine whether the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds a first threshold indicative of an impact; and 
 if the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds the first threshold:
 store vehicle data from the buffer in the NVSM; and 
 determine a status for storing vehicle data on the disk. 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine an additional status for storing vehicle data on the disk if the status for storing vehicle data on the disk previously indicated that vehicle data could not be stored on the disk. 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 1 , wherein in determining the status for storing vehicle data on the disk, the controller is further configured to perform a diagnostic test on the disk. 
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a shock signal amplifier, and wherein the controller is further configured to:
 process the input into a first shock signal used by the controller to determine whether the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds the first threshold; 
 process the first shock signal into a second shock signal using the shock signal amplifier; and 
 determine based on the second shock signal whether the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds a second threshold, the second threshold corresponding to less mechanical shock than the first threshold. 
 
     
     
       5. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the NVSM includes a first portion reserved for storing vehicle data from the buffer upon determining that the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds the first threshold indicative of an impact. 
     
     
       6. The device of  claim 5 , wherein the NVSM includes a second portion reserved for storing a predetermined amount of new vehicle data received by the controller for storage in the device after determining that the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds the first threshold. 
     
     
       7. The device of  claim 5 , wherein the NVSM includes a third portion, and wherein the controller is further configured to:
 receive new vehicle data into the buffer for storage in the device after determining that the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds the first threshold; 
 receive an additional input indicating a subsequent level of mechanical shock; 
 determine whether the additional input indicates the subsequent level of mechanical shock corresponds to an additional impact; and 
 store the new vehicle data from the buffer in the third portion of the NVSM if the additional input indicates the subsequent level of mechanical shock corresponds to an additional impact, wherein the third portion of the NVSM is reserved for storing a predetermined amount of the new vehicle data from the buffer. 
 
     
     
       8. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the NVSM includes a circular buffer, and wherein the controller is further configured to:
 receive new vehicle data for storage in the device after determining that the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds the first threshold; and 
 store the new vehicle data in the circular buffer. 
 
     
     
       9. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the buffer includes a first portion and a second portion, and wherein the controller is further configured to receive vehicle data into the first portion of the buffer for storage on the disk while storing vehicle data on the disk that was previously received in the second portion of the buffer. 
     
     
       10. The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a video camera, wherein the vehicle data includes video data from the video camera. 
     
     
       11. The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a host in communication with a remote storage device via a network, and wherein the host is configured to:
 retrieve vehicle data stored in the NVSM; and 
 send the retrieved vehicle data to the remote storage device via the network. 
 
     
     
       12. A method of operating a device adapted to capture vehicle data related to a vehicle in motion, the device including a disk and a Non-Volatile Solid-State Memory (NVSM) for storing vehicle data, the method comprising:
 receiving vehicle data into a buffer of the device for storage on the disk; 
 receiving an input indicating a level of mechanical shock; 
 determining whether the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds a first threshold indicative of an impact; and 
 if the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds the first threshold:
 storing vehicle data from the buffer in the NVSM; and 
 determining a status for storing vehicle data on the disk. 
 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising determining an additional status for storing vehicle data on the disk if the status for storing vehicle data on the disk previously indicated that vehicle data could not be stored on the disk. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12 , wherein in determining the status for storing vehicle data on the disk, the method further comprises performing a diagnostic test on the disk. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 processing the input into a first shock signal used to determine whether the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds the first threshold; 
 processing the first shock signal into a second shock signal using a shock signal amplifier; and 
 determining based on the second shock signal whether the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds a second threshold, the second threshold corresponding to less mechanical shock than the first threshold. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising storing vehicle data from the buffer in a reserved first portion of the NVSM upon determining that the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds the first threshold indicative of an impact. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 receiving a predetermined amount of new vehicle data for storage in the device after determining that the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds the first threshold; and 
 storing the predetermined amount of new vehicle data in a reserved second portion of the NVSM. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 receiving new vehicle data into the buffer for storage in the device after determining that the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds the first threshold; 
 receiving an additional input indicating a subsequent level of mechanical shock; 
 determining whether the additional input indicates the subsequent level of mechanical shock corresponds to an additional impact; and 
 storing the new vehicle data from the buffer in a third portion of the NVSM if the additional input indicates the subsequent level of mechanical shock corresponds to an additional impact, wherein the third portion of the NVSM is reserved for storing a predetermined amount of the new vehicle data from the buffer. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 receiving new vehicle data for storage in the device after determining that the input indicates the level of mechanical shock exceeds the first threshold; and 
 storing the new vehicle data in a circular buffer of the NVSM. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising receiving vehicle data into a first portion of the buffer for storage on the disk while storing vehicle data on the disk that was previously received in a second portion of the buffer. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the vehicle data includes video data from a video camera. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 retrieving vehicle data stored in the NVSM; and 
 sending the retrieved vehicle data to a remote storage device via a network.